Unleash the Power of The Press

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And on the local front…

photo of Steve Dubin
Steve Dubin

You don’t always have to create news to obtain media coverage. Many times, you can tag along with existing stories already in the news. And provide the local color.

Example, the government shut down is impacting your business. Problem. Your accounting firm needs to clarify with the IRS regarding quarterly tax payments by a client. The IRS is impacted by the partial government shutdown. Telephone calls to the IRS are immediately routed to a vague voice mail. Your client wants to wrap up her return. What next?

The press is looking for stories about how the shutdown and is impacting local businesses and people. Sending a pitch letter and one-page press kit/summary including background on the topic, contact info for key sources including you, industry experts and local clients and a head shot of you as well as a working environment photo (you with a stack of files and several calculators) is the first step. An email to the business editor and follow-up telephone calls are next.

Tag along. Add a local angle and local voices to a national story and create coverage. This might also help establish you as “the” on-going source for your topic.

Allow us to put our ear to the ground for you and find opportunity to tag along with current news opportunities.

And on the local front…Read More

Headlines. Grab them first.

Headlines draw you in. So, don’t be shy.

Make it provocative. Offer something enticing. Add a pinch of urgency.

Marketing has certainly changed. The storytelling process has not.

Step one, get their attention. That is the headline.

Step two, lead them through the message in a direct and entertaining way.

Step three, ask them to take action – click here for a free brochure, visit this specific landing page, join my e-newsletter list, fill out this brief form, call now.

What makes a great headline? Example – “7 little known ways to save money on taxes in 2019 without ruffling the IRS.” Timely, concise and offering value.

There, I just saved you the two years that it would have taken to earn an MBA.

Let us know if we can grab attention for you and lead prospects to take ACTION.

Headlines. Grab them first.Read More

Eight things the media loves

photo of Steve Dubin
Steve Dubin

We all know press coverage generates visibility, credibility, authority, thought leadership positioning and, most importantly, new opportunity.

So, how do you give the press what they want? Read on…

DAGUS

As my friend and colleague Ed Perry, ringmaster of WATD-FM and member of the Radio Hall of Fame, says, “We take the DAGUS approach. Does Anyone Give A S_ _ _ ?”

Does your news include “news” that’s of interest to that media outlet’s audience? Is it useful, interesting, timely, regional? Make sure you provide news that gets a YES on the DAGUS test.

LIGHTNING ROD TOPICS
Topics that draw immediate attention? Sex, money and health. Beyond those obvious draws you might try news about a round number anniversary (10, 25, 50), a new service or product, key employee news (hired, trained, promoted), community involvement, awards or recognition, new location, strategic partnership, trends, new research, new innovations and human-interest phenomenon.

FIVE W’s
Answer all the questions the audience might have. That is usually well covered with the Five Ws – Who, What, Why, When and Where.

THE IN CROWD
It doesn’t matter whether you play squash with the news director of the NBC outlet. Reach out to your media friend with REAL news. Yes, you have easier access to a friend, but you don’t want to compromise the friendship or business relationship by pitching a non-story.

SILVER PLATTER
The press is overwhelmed and understaffed. Make it oh-so-easy for them. Provide a great story angle, background information to borrow from and a variety of industry sources to interview and add flesh to your story.

PICTURE PERFECT
Often times the picture or video can SELL the story. Provide great visuals and you are helping illustrate the story. High res photos are best for the print media. The best possible production values are helpful for video.

TIMING. IT’S EVERYTHING
Deadline, deadline. The press lives and dies by them. So, when an editor is enticed you need to respond IMMEDIATELY or in the same part of the day. Otherwise, they move on to the next source.

AND IN CONCLUSION – BREVITY
According to Wikipedia, the average human attention span has fallen from 12 seconds in 2000, or around the time the mobile revolution began, to eight seconds. Goldfish, meanwhile, are believed to have an attention span of nine seconds. Hint – keep it short and pithy.

Let us know if we can help you with your media love life.

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 A PR Works Holiday Classic: Spare me the holiday e-cards!

Some families will sit down for a spirited telling of The Night Before Christmas. Others will imbibe in such holiday classics as It’s a Wonderful Life, the Brady, Miracle on 34th Street and A Very Brady Christmas. Here at PR Works, we share our equally heartwarming take on holiday cards.

Enjoy!

Don’t do it. Spare me the holiday e-cards.

Warning. Don’t send holiday e-cards. 

E-cards scream “I almost care”. E-cards involve little effort, little cost, little personal sentiment.

Similarly, holiday cards are more likely to burn than build a bridge.

Keeping in touch is a wonderful thing, doing so en mass and with a generic message, however, is somewhat insulting.

If you want to wish me Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year or any other holiday…

  • Send me a real, honest to goodness snail mail card.
  • Call me to catch up.
  • Drop by and visit.
  • Take me to lunch.
  • Join me for coffee.
  • Invite me to a holiday gathering.
  • Buy me a little gift.

As a re-seller of Constant Contact and other email platforms, I understand the value of regularly connecting with your network. Use email with discretion. Share business news via e-newsletters. Celebrate holidays with authentic good cheer and in person, if possible.

 A PR Works Holiday Classic: Spare me the holiday e-cards!Read More

Claim the expert position. Respond to media requests and shine.

Most non-hard news stories (e.g. fires, shootings and other disasters) are “pitched” by PR firms. Many of those “pitches” are directly responding to daily PR request services like Help A Reporter Out (HARO) and ProfNet.

Reporters need expert/authoritative comment and input on a very wide range of stories. We regularly connect both local and national media with our clients.

Example, U.S. News & World Report put out a PR query that they were working on an article focused on “How to cover caregiving costs”. We connected them with Wendy Adlerstein, LSW, of First Light Home Care and magic happened.

Coverage in the U.S. News & World Report

But magic doesn’t come out of thin air. There are a number of important elements to make it happen.

You must DEMONSTRATE your expertise. In Wendy Adlerstein we emphasized her years of experience, education background and gravitas.

Example – Wendy Adlerstein, LSW has more than 20 years experience in working with seniors. She holds a B.A. from Clark University, in Psychology with a concentration in Sociology and Human Services. In addition to her Massachusetts License in Social Work, Wendy holds a Certificate in Gerontology from the Worcester Consortium Gerontology Program.

She is a member of the Aging Life Care Association (ALCA), formerly the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. Finally, Wendy is a Certified Dementia Practitioner® in good standing from the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners.

Second, the email pitch headline must be enticing.

Example – LSW saves money and saves lives – for – 43) Summary: How to cover caregiving costs – U.S. News & World Report

Third, the body of the pitch should include a couple tips/suggestions in response to the query. These tips/suggestions make it clear that you know your stuff and that you are dead-on.

Fourth, timing is everything. Most PR queries are settled within hours of release. You need to quickly respond to the query and then be available immediately for a phone interview or additional email clarification.

As you help reporters better understand a subject, provide them with colorful quotes and anecdotes and respond in a timely manner, you establish yourself as a great “on-going” source for future stories on similar subjects.

Remember, editors are as desperate for credible, accessible sources as you are for the coverage. Reach out and extend your marketing reach.

We cull Help A Reporter Out (HARO) and ProfNet throughout the day for BOTH retainer clients and a la cart / hourly customers. Let us know if we can connect you to media coverage and help establish you as “the” go to source.

Claim the expert position. Respond to media requests and shine.Read More

A high Google ranking and real-time references

Google reviews are all the rage now, particularly those of the 5-star variety. The more of those you receive, the better your chances of landing a high Google ranking in the hallowed grounds of the three-pack on Google Maps. That’s us at the top of the three-pack below:

image of PR Works Google ranking

Achieving this type of Google ranking didn’t happen overnight. It took about a week to achieve our spot in the three-pack and about month to record the current 51 five-star Google reviews.

While you might think being on the first page of searches for PR firms on the South Shore is a huge benefit, it might not even be the top one.

Isn’t a high Google ranking and being on page one the goal? What could be better than that?

You could say having a lot of client testimonials is better. Some of the reviews we received were quite flattering. For example:

“Our organization has been working with PR Works for a few years now and they, without a doubt, perform above and beyond. Their staff is very proactive and takes care of all of our marketing needs without any prompting necessary. They keep their finger on the pulse of what is going on with our organization and then spread the word for us via press releases, eNewsletters, and social media posts. It is a constant relief knowing that PR Works is handling our marketing. Thank you PR Works!”
–Talking Information

“I recommend PR Works for any size company to brand themselves, reach audiences and target markets, build networks or launch a new product. My product has been on the market for over 10 years, and I am still attracting customers from my early press releases by PR Works. With the longevity power of the internet, a strategically written press release is especially important and worthwhile at any stage of your business. PR Works provides that media knowledge and exposure. Their services range from immediate need to long range planning, so affordable for all size businesses and initiatives and no need to change firms down the road.”
–Julie White, BedBoots

Perhaps more important than the kind and flattering words are the real-time references these reviews provide. When a prospect asks for references, we not only have them at the ready, but in real-time. We can literally provide those references on the spot. Even more importantly, the prospect knows these references were not coached up or otherwise influenced to speak glowingly of our firm. For many prospects, an authentic, real-time reference can seal the deal.

If you would like to find out how a first-page placement and real-time reference source on Google Maps can benefit your business, drop us a line.

 

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Improve your newsletter’s open rates by five to 20 percent

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash of people reading computer screenIf you regularly send out an e-newsletter, it stands to reason the more people who open it the better. So, when your open rates remain about the same, it’s time to think about what you could or should be doing differently.

Better subject lines?

Perhaps video?

Maybe sending the newsletter out on a different day of the week?

These are all great ideas and should be explored. Yet you might first want to try re-sending your e-mail to those who did not open the first go around.

That’s right. Send it again.

If you think that’s being a little pushy, think about your own e-mail habits. How often do you receive an e-mail you want to read but can’t at that moment? So, you leave it in your in box and probably never open it, right? Happens all the time, right?

You think that might happen to other folks as well? You know it does.

So, re-send your e-mail. Preferably three or four days after the initial mailing so it won’t seem like you’re being too pushy.

Most e-newsletter services have reports available where you can download those who did not open your e-mail and create a new list for the re-send. It’s a little bit of work and requires you to remember to do it, but it can be done.

Or, you can use Constant Contact.

Constant Contact’s new templates offer a re-send option where your e-mail is automatically sent to non-openers at a time period you designate. It can be as soon as three days after the initial mailing. The best part is you can set the re-send option when you schedule the initial e-mail. Then you can forget about it.

Actually, the best part is it gives you the option to alter the subject line a bit so that your e-mail stands out.

So, you’re thinking, “it’s easy, but does it work?” Does it ever.

To date, in using this for clients and our own newsletter, the re-send option has improved open rate percentages by a minimum of five percent and a maximum of 25 percent. The minimums were on lists of 2,000 or more. In several cases it meant more than 100 additional opens per mailing. For the client who saw a 25 percent improvement, they have a mailing list of more than 1000.

Again, this is something you can do with many e-mail newsletter providers. As a Constant Contact reseller, we prefer their re-send option for its simplicity.

If you would like some help in getting your enewsletter off the ground or getting a better open rate, drop us a line.

Improve your newsletter’s open rates by five to 20 percentRead More

E-book services announced by Plymouth, MA firm PR Works

Five to 10 blogs, e-newsletter articles or social media posts are probably enough to put together an E-Book. PR Works, a full marketing services company based in Plymouth, MA, is now offering a full range of services to publish an E-Book.

E-Book services range from creating a consistent and compelling design for the book, cover design, title choice, writing assistance, author biography development, an introduction section, table of contents, and strategy for the promotion and dissemination of the book.

“An E-Book gives you the power to say, ‘I wrote the book’ on that subject,” notes E-book author Steven V. Dubin, president of PR WORKS, a full service public relations firm based in Plymouth, MA and serving clients throughout the United States. Dubin recently wrote the E-book, “PR 101” about how to leverage free press coverage to grow your business. Dubin was also a contributing author to “Get Slightly Famous”, a book about becoming a celebrity in your field and attracting more business with less effort, and “Tricks of the Trade”, the complete guide to succeeding in the advice business.

“E-Books are a streamlined path to authorship and yield a number of benefits. An E-book establishes your credibility, creates significant visibility, generates leads for your business or brand, entices speaking opportunities and greatly increases your value proposition,” adds Dubin.

Every E-book project is unique but costs typically run from $495 to $995.

To see a sample of the E-book development, visit https://www.PRWorkZone.com and click on “Free E-book, PR 101”.

PR Works is located in downtown Plymouth at 18 Main Street Extension, Plymouth, MA 02060.  For more information, please visit https://www.PRWorkZone.com or contact the firm at SDubin@PRWorkZone.com, (781) 582-1061.

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Is your website secure?

Jim Smith

This month, we have a special guest columnist: Jim Smith from Blarneystone Internet Services, LLC. His column below addresses the next Google deadline, July 1, for the “Not Secure” label for websites without SSL certificates:

Is your website secure?

From phishing to countless other online scams there is an ever-increasing need for improving Internet security.

Google has put off the deadline several times, but July 1,2018 appears to be the date when they will finally implement a new listing ‘Not Secure’ in the address bar of all websites that have not obtained an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. This could strongly deter visitors from ‘Not Secure’ websites and impact commerce. It is estimated that as many as one third of all websites will receive this admonishment. That’s why Blarneystone Internet Services, recently developed a compliance solution.

It is easy to tell if your website is on a secure server. Open your website in Chrome. In the address bar if it shows a locked padlock with the word “Secure”, your website is secure. If you see an exclamation point or “Not Secure”, your website is in need of a secure certificate.

The new security requirement coincides with the release of Google’s search engine Chrome version 68. The new regulation impacts all websites that include any kind of text input such as login panels, contact forms, search bars, etc. SSL is standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and browser. The SSL link ensures that all data passed between the two remain private.

Blarneystone will obtain the SSL certificate for website owners. This service includes certifying the owner of a domain name; purchase of a certificate; activation of the certificate; installation of the certificate; and instructions on updating the website to use HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure) the encryption used for protecting highly sensitive transactions like online banking and online shopping. Cost for the service is $150. We will also update the certificate annually for $150.

“In July, not having an SSL certificate will become a deal breaker for many online shoppers and for good reason,” noted Jim Smith, founder and director of Blarneystone Internet Services. “Internet shoppers not only crave a depth of product choice, great pricing and fast shipping, but armor-clad security. This is another solid step in that direction.”

Please contact us at (800) 801-3996 or drop a line for more information.

Is your website secure?Read More